On August 13, 2024, the Kansas City, Kansas Board of Education approved a $180 million bond issue to go to voters for approval on the November ballot.
We encourage you to learn as much as you can about this Bond Election so that you can make an informed decision.
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Excellence at a Glance
Friday, September 6, 2024
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KCKPS District Highlights | |
Regular Attendance in School is Important |
At KCKPS, we truly believe that our schools are better when you’re here!
Regular attendance is critically important because students who miss school miss out on carefully planned sequences of instruction and the opportunity to be engaged, participate, and ask questions in the classroom.
To make sure every child has a fair chance to learn and succeed, no matter their background or situation, we are focused on reducing absences and tackling the reason why students miss school.
We understand that attendance can be influenced by various factors, such as economic conditions, cultural backgrounds, language barriers, and disabilities. To address these challenges, it is crucial for us to work together to create a welcoming and equitable school environment. By doing so, we can better support students and encourage regular attendance and active learning.
During the week of September 16-20, we are asking our students, staff and parents/guardians to sign a pledge to acknowledge that you will support students' attendance. Individuals who sign the pledge will be entered in a daily drawing to win prizes throughout the week.
Sign the Pledge Here.
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September is Suicide Prevention Month.
KCKPS is committed to the mental health and wellness of our students, their families, and the Kansas City, Kansas community. Counselors and Behavioral Health Social Workers are available in each school to provide support to students who may experience behaviors or symptoms that impact their emotional health.
The Behavioral Health Team provides support in a variety of ways. Counselors and social workers in KCKPS support students who may be experiencing mental health symptoms or behaviors and can connect families with available resources to help. It is important to know the warning signs of suicide when your child is at home.
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KCKPS Kicks Off the School Year with its Annual Convocation |
Administrators, teachers, and staff from Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools helped kick off the 2024-25 school year in a big way.
The KCKPS Annual School Convocation took place on Thursday, August 8, at the Homefield KC Sports Complex in Kansas City, Kansas.
The atmosphere was electric as thousands of staff gathered for the giant pep rally. High school cheerleaders, the KCKPS All-Star Band, and the Kansas City Chiefs mascot, KC Wolf, helped welcome everyone.
A big shout-out went to the Teachers of the Year and the Support Staff of the Year. They were saluted for their incredible work at each school in the district. Superintendent of Schools Dr. Anna Stubblefield and School Board President Randy Lopez were co-hosts during the event. They welcomed alumni and staff who graduated from KCKPS and recognized new staff members to the district.
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The KCK Schools Foundation for Excellence Helps Families Back to School |
Two special events helped hundreds of families throughout Wyandotte County prepare for the new school year.
The Kansas City, Kansas Schools Foundation for Excellence sponsored a food drive, resource rally, and back-to-school fair.
The food drive and resource fair took place on Thursday, August 8, at the Homefield KC Baseball Complex in Kansas City, Kansas. Organizers say 400 families participated in the drive-through style event, which allowed recipients to remain in their vehicles. Dozens of volunteers from the Niagara Bottling Company and the Overland Park Rotary Club handed out 25-pound boxes of food, personal care products, bottled water, and books.
The food boxes contained canned vegetables, cereal, pasta, and pasta sauce.
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Two Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools Featured in Local Television Promotional Ads |
Lights! Camera! Action!
Recently, the spotlight shined bright on a couple of Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools. Wyandotte High School and Mark Twain Elementary Schools are featured in two promotional videos on KSHB 41.
For the next month or so, KSHB viewers will see a Back to School commercial promoting the Morning Show team at the TV station. The video scene takes place in the library at Mark Twain with KSHB anchors Rae Daniel, Taylor Hemness, Lindsay Shively, Lindsey Anderson, and Daniela Leon. Producers of the video say the modern look of the library was the perfect location to help promote The Morning Show team.
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Computer Literacy Classes | |
Join KCKPS and RevEd for three upcoming Computer Literacy Courses during the month of September. The courses are focused on closing the digital divide between school systems and parents/families in the district. All materials for the class will be provided.
When: September 14, 21, 28
Where 2010 N. 59th St. Kansas City, KS. 66104
Time: 10:30 am - 12:30 pm
During these courses, learn about these important basic computer skills and softwares:
- September 14: Participants will learn all about what the mission of the program is, who the organizations putting it together are, and basics on a computer.
- September 21: Students will take a deep dive into Gmail. How to create a gmail account, and how to use it.
- September 28: Students will learn all about Google Calendar, and how they can use it to stay organized.
Individuals that are interested will need to register here. There are limited spots, and it is a first come first serve basis. Childcare will be provided. This is a collaboration between the Welcome Center and LEC/RevEd.
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KCKPS District Highlights | |
(Priscilla Flores, pictured right) | |
Teacher Honored During Special Pinning Ceremony |
The future looks bright for a Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools Latinx teacher.
Sumner Academy’s Priscilla Flores was honored at a “Pinning Ceremony” at the Latinx Education Collaborative (LEC) in Kansas City, Missouri on Thursday, August 29.
The pinning ceremony was part of a celebration to help recognize incoming educators who are committed to the education profession. Organizers of the event say it’s part of their Futuros Program, which hopes to increase the number of Latino educators in the system by 50 in 2027.
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Lindbergh Students Get Some Special Visitors
Members of The Professional Bull Riders Association visited Lindberg Elementary School on Friday to talk with the students about the importance of reading. The group is performing in Kansas City this weekend and made a special stop at the school as part of the organization’s efforts to promote literacy and NBC 41’s Give a Child a Book program.
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Highlights Around the District | |
Teacher Gets Surprised with New Roof | |
Teachers dedicate a lot of their time and energy to students, providing them with guidance and being there when they need a little extra support.
A local roofing company showed its support for one KCKPS teacher by surprising her with a new roof for her home.
The AAA Midwest Roofing Company awarded John F. Kennedy Elementary School Teacher, Patricia Bradshaw, the gift during a surprise announcement at JFK Elementary School.
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Girls Flag football is set to Kickoff Across KCKPS | |
The Girls Flag Football season will soon kick off and students from Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools will be right there in the middle.
This year, all five high schools from KCKPS will participate in league action. Last year, only Sumner Academy played in games. This year’s league will consist of KCKPS, Osawatomie-Wellsville, Gardner, and Olathe East.
The league received a big boost, thanks to the Kansas City Chiefs. The back-to-back Super Bowl Champion organization announced their support at a rally held at Wyandotte High School on Friday, August 30.
Dozens of high school girls jammed into the school’s auditorium where they heard from former Chiefs players Joe Horn and Gary Stills. Students also heard from several women in the Chiefs organization who played collegiate sports, as well as flag football. Their remarks centered around working hard, being dedicated to the sport, and playing as a team.
“Flag football is growing in popularity worldwide. Partnering with the NFL/Kansas City Chiefs to bring Girls Flag Football to KCKPS will hopefully encourage our young lady scholars to get even more involved in other activities and potentially generate growth in other female sports in our district,” said KCKPS Athletic Director Samuel Simmons Sr.
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Former J.C. Harmon High School Student Awarded Scholarship and Internship |
J.C. Harmon High School graduate Diana Chavez started her first year at UMKC, studying marketing at the Bloch School of Business.
She recently received a financial boost to help pay for part of her tuition.
Earlier this month, Chavez was awarded the 2024 Resonance Scholarship from Signal Theory in partnership with BrandLab.
Signal Theory is a brand development, marketing, and design firm in Wichita, Kansas. BrandLab is also a marketing and design firm in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
The two companies collaborated and awarded Chavez and a student from Raytown High School a $2500 scholarship. They will also receive a paid internship at Signal Theory next summer.
Chavez played an active role while attending J.C. Harmon High School. She was the President of the Student Council and was a student-athlete. Her involvement at UMKC will also be active. Chavez will be a member of the university’s First Gen Roo, Professional Career Escalators, and Honors Program.
Chavez interned for The BrandLab as a high school student and continues to develop her skills as a digital content creator for Emily’s World Thrift Store, a women’s and Latino-owned business in Kansas City, Kansas.
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Lindbergh Elementary School Students Receives Free Haircuts | |
An old saying says, “If you look good, you feel good.” That’s what leaders at Lindbergh Elementary School had in mind when they helped provide free haircuts for its students.
A makeshift barbershop was set up in the school’s gymnasium on Monday, August 12.
The owner of the Officially Chopped Barbershop in Shawnee, Kansas offered its services to the school.
The owner’s family are close friends with Lindbergh Elementary School Principal Dustin Wiley. He says his friends had been looking for ways to give back to the community, and the free haircuts were the perfect solution.
“It’s a blessing to have them here because they are an award-winning barbershop,” said Wiley.
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The Leader of the KCK Schools Foundation for Excellence is Honored |
The KCK Schools Foundation for Excellence leader has received special honors for her commitment and dedication.
The Women We Admire organization announced that Executive Director Christal Watson was
named to the Top 50 Women Leaders of Missouri for 2024.
This recognition highlights Watson’s exceptional leadership, unwavering devotion, and impactful contributions to the Kansas City, Kansas community and the well-being of students at Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools.
Women We Admire leaders say the honorees are at the forefront of prominent industries such as electronics, auto manufacturing, healthcare, and education. They added that these women are the driving force of innovation and growth across the region.
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Noble Prentis Students Sing the National Anthem |
Students at Nobel Prentis Elementary School have a big reason to be proud of themselves.
Fourth and fifth-grade students sang the National Anthem in front of a large crowd at a Walmart Neighborhood Market, on Friday, September 6.
The store on Metropolitan Avenue in Kansas City, Kansas recently underwent renovations and held a reopening ceremony to celebrate. The store invited the students to participate in the celebration. At the start of the school year, students started practicing the famed song.
Perhaps the best part of the event was Walmart’s donation of $4,000 to Noble Prentis. The money will be used to purchase school supplies.
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The Unified Government’s Public Works Department is excited to announce the second WyCo Dumpster Days event of 2024! Dumpster Days helps residents recycle electronics waste for a fee and dispose of unwanted bulky items like old mattresses and furniture for free.
Visitors need to show proof of Wyandotte County residency with something displaying their name and address, like a driver’s license or utility bill. Items accepted include electronics recycling, mattresses, furniture, most general appliances, fixtures, microwaves, televisions, and more.
Saturday, September 7, 2024, from 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM
(Former Indian Springs Site – 47th & Orville, Kansas City, KS 66102)
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Innovation Lab: Quindaro Blvd. |
You are cordially invited to join FUSE Corps Executive Fellow DeWayne Bright Sr. for an upcoming Innovation Lab to discuss a strategy for this central corridor in the historic Northeast KCK. Following a series of community engagement efforts, this session will be a great opportunity to define a path forward in revitalizing the boulevard.
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UG Announces Changes in Community Center Operations | The Unified Government has announced upcoming changes to the community center operations will go into effect September 3, 2024, following the evaluation of several issues. During a time when all employers are competing for talent, the Parks & Recreation Department has analyzed the challenges they have experienced with fully staffing the six (6) recreation and community center. A significant change that will be made is moving our Recreation Specialists, the dedicated team members who support these facilities, will no longer be required to work a six-day work week as all schedules will move to a five-day work week. This change will help us, moving forward, with recruitment and retention of key staff. | |
Students Learn Hands Only CPR |
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First Day of School 2024-25 |
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Upcoming Meetings
September 10, 2024
September 24, 2024
October 8, 2024
October 22, 2024
November 12, 2024
Zoom meeting
(web-based video conferencing)
5:00 pm
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The public can join in on the meeting to listen by clicking on the link on the home page of the district's website. | |
KCKPS-TV
Your Education Channel
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KCKPS-TV is the cable access channel for Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools. We provide a variety of viewing options for the public to access and watch public meetings and district programming on KCKPS-TV 24-hours, every day of the week.
Broadcast TV
- Available on Spectrum cable, Channel 18, and in HD on Google Fiber, Channel 145.
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Available online on the KCKPS website.
- Programs and school board meetings are also scheduled for rebroadcast on KCKPS-TV. You can also watch us live where ever you are online, on Roku or the Apple TV app.
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Inspiring a Love for Reading, Supporting Information Needs, Providing New Experiences |
Kansas City, Kansas Public Library (KCKPL) connects members of our dynamic community with information, tools, resources, and welcoming spaces to enrich their lives. KCKPL is governed by the Kansas City Kansas Public Schools (USD #500) Board of Education.
We offer a variety of learning, cultural, and entertainment materials and opportunities. Take time to explore our website to see what we offer. If you have questions, feel free to contact our librarians and associates for assistance.
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